Eternal Joy
by Deana
Summary: Sequel to 'Through the Glass Darkly'. Ardeth and Yashah are married, and expecting a little Medjai bundle of joy!
1. Feminine Charms

Eternal Joy 

Sequel to 'Through the Glass Darkly'

Disclaimer: I don't own Ardeth Bay, *sigh*, but I do own every other character you see.

Special thanks to Dreamscape for something I can't mention yet or I'll give it all away, LOL! (You'll see!) 

Yashah sighed from where she sat. Looking around, neither Ardeth, Yashimah, Kareem, or her father Jashah were nearby to help her stand up.

She looked down at her protruding stomach, and gave it a rub. "I can not wait to see you, little one," she said. 

"Yashah!" she suddenly heard.

Trying to turn to look behind herself, Yashah saw Yashimah quickly walking towards her. 

"Why are you sitting in the sun? You should not be out here," Yashimah said, bending down and hauling Yashah up.

It never failed to amaze Yashah how much strength Yashimah had. She was almost as strong as Ardeth himself. 

"I feel fine, Yashimah," Yashah told her, as they walked. "I was hoping to get Ardeth to take me into Cairo today."

Yashimah stopped dead. "Cairo? Are you insane?!"

Yashah laughed. "Our campsite is currently at the closest point to Cairo that we ever get. If I do not go soon, I know I will not be able for quite a while." She smiled. "You know how Ardeth and I often go so I can look around and he can buy something beautiful for me?" she said, smiling bigger. Ardeth was a very generous man.

"What do you wish to buy?" Yashimah asked, wondering why she wanted to go so close to her time to give birth. 

Yashah sighed. "I do not know yet. But I feel as if this is our last chance to go, for a while."

"I do not think it is wise," Yashimah stated.

Suddenly Yashah gasped as hands wrapped around her ever-expanding waistline, and she turned to see Ardeth behind them. 

"Ardeth!" She laughed, playfully slapping his arm. 

He smiled at her, not letting go. "How are you feeling today, gamila?"

Her eyebrows flew up, as she realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to ask him if she could have her little trip. "I am feeling very well, Ardeth," she said, as sweetly as she could. 

He smiled, in reply. 

"Would you do something for me?" Yashah suddenly asked.

Ardeth stopped walking, facing her seriously. "Anything, habbibah."

Yashimah smiled to herself. _When he finds out what it is, he will surely change his mind…_

"I would like to go to Cairo," Yashah told him.

Ardeth looked incredulous. "Cairo? At such a time as this?" 

Yashah nodded. "This may be my last opportunity to go for a while…" She stopped when Ardeth started shaking his head.

Yashimah quietly snuck away, knowing that she would be forced to agree with Ardeth, and she didn't want to hurt her friend's feelings. As she left, she turned, seeing Ardeth still shaking his head. _He will not take her; he is wiser then that,_ she thought, confidently.

********************

Ardeth rode his horse through the desert, Yashah in front of him. He couldn't help but smile when he felt the baby kick every so often, as his arms were around her waist so he could grasp the reins. He had told Yashah that the only way he would bring her was if they shared one horse. He was not about to allow something to befall her, especially now. She could try to get down and fall; injuring herself and the baby, or something could cause the horse to throw her…she could even become unbalanced and simply fall off. No, she would have to ride on _his_ horse with him, or not go at all. 

She had chosen to ride with him.

He had not been surprised at all, though he had hoped she would refuse because the ride would probably be uncomfortable for her. He would so rather have her confined to the camp, where she could receive care instantly if and when she needed it. Yet here he was, riding towards Cairo, bringing his wife on probably her last excursion for at least the next few months.

It was very hot, and to her dismay Yashah found herself growing nauseous. She kept herself from complaining however; she had begged for the trip, and had gotten it. The last thing she wanted was for Ardeth to turn around. She suddenly felt a pain in her stomach, but it came with a nauseous wave and subsided with it, so she decided that she must've eaten something that had not agreed with her.

"Are you all right, azhara?"

Yashah jumped slightly at the sound of Ardeth's voice, wondering if she'd somehow made her discomfort obvious. "Yes, I am fine, Ardeth."

He sighed, and rested his cheek on her head. "I can not wait to see our little one, sa'da."

Yashah smiled at the sweet endearments that Ardeth never failed to bestow upon her. He was a wonderful husband, and she'd been happy every day of her life since their marriage. "Neither can I, sa'da," she replied, trying to turn around to smile at him.

Ardeth smiled back at her. "What do you wish to buy, in Cairo?"

She smiled again. "Something for the baby."

Ardeth nodded, knowing that would be her answer.

'habbibah' Egyptian Arabic for 'my love'

'gamilia' 'beautiful'

'azhara' 'my flower'

'sa'da' 'my happiness'


	2. 'Rashim faras!' LOL

When they got to Cairo, Yashah felt better, especially at the sight of the many things to buy at the marketplaces. 

Ardeth kept a close eye on her through the crowds, never allowing her to go anywhere without him. When she found a piece of cloth that she wanted to make a blanket for the baby with, Ardeth was more then happy to buy it for her, but the seller asked too much, so Ardeth tried to bargain with him.

Yashah stood there waiting for them to agree on a price, and as she looked around, she saw in the next stand a beautiful dagger that looked like one that Ardeth owned. She looked at Ardeth to see that he was still arguing with the man, and so she slinked away to take a look at the weapon. 

The seller smiled at her as she picked it up, and as she studied it she saw that it didn't look as much like Ardeth's as she thought. 

As she started to put it down, a sharp pain suddenly stabbed through her, and she gasped, nearly dropping the knife.

The owner of the stand grabbed it before it fell. "Keyf ilhehl?" he asked, now noticing that she was pregnant, as she'd put a hand on her stomach.

She shook _and_ nodded her head at the same time. "Aywa, bi kheyr." The pain ebbed away, and she looked to see Ardeth finally hand the cloth-seller some money, and look around for her in almost a panic, when he didn't spot her.

"I am here, Ardeth!"

He followed the sound of her voice, and saw her. He looked slightly angry at her disappearance, until he saw her standing there with her hand on her stomach—his child. His face softened as he walked to her.

Yashah wasn't sure what she should do. Should she tell Ardeth that she might have gone into labor, knowing that there was nothing he could do about it, since they had to travel back to the Med-jai camp anyway? She knew that the process took hours, but the nausea and pain she had had a couple hours ago could have been the start of it! She looked at Ardeth's smiling face as he handed her the cloth. Was it really necessary to tell Ardeth, and make him nervous? She decided to keep quiet.

"Shukran," she said to him. His smile was infectious.

"Afwan," he replied, guiding her through the crowd. "Is there anything else you would like to buy?"

Yashah knew that it would be a good idea if they left as soon as possible, so she said, "I do not think so."

Ardeth nodded, and started in the direction of the horses. 

As they left the city, another pain stabbed her, confirming that it really was time. She bit her lip to avoid a gasp, not wanting to alarm Ardeth, but could not hold it in completely.

"Our little one is active today," Ardeth said, having heard her gasp and felt the tightening in her stomach, mistaking it for a kick.

"Yes," she managed to say. "_Very_ active."

********************

It was not a comfortable ride for poor Yashah, who somehow managed to avoid letting Ardeth find out. 

It was about two hours into the ride, when the horse started to limp strangely. Ardeth dismounted and helped Yashah down—who was grateful she was not in the middle of a contraction—and went to check the horse's leg.

"He has thrown a shoe," he told Yashah, who was sitting in the sand.

A sliver of fear slid down her spine when he told her that, wondering what they would do now. With her current situation, that was _not_ a good thing. Suddenly she saw a scorpion crawl out of the sand, spooking the horse and causing it to suddenly neigh and kick its legs.

Yashah gasped when one of its back legs caught Ardeth in the head, and he dropped to the sand.

"Ardeth!" she yelled, trying to get to her feet. Giving up on that, she crawled over to him, and grabbed his arm. "Ardeth!"

He was out cold, not moving. There was a cut on his forehead, but it looked like it hadn't been a direct blow, more like a glancing one. 

But it was enough to knock him out and possibly give him a concussion.

"Rashim faras!" She yelled at the horse. Suddenly a pain worse then the rest shot through her abdomen, and she cried out in pain, curling up in the sand beside him. When it subsided, she was left breathless. Fear coursed through her, as she realized that the baby may not wait for her husband to recover and return them to the camp.

'Keyf ilhehl?' Egyptian Arabic for 'Are you all right?'

'Aywa, bi kheyr.': 'Yes, I'm fine.'

'Rashim faras!' 'Stupid horse!' LOL


	3. The Bay Family is Extended! Yay!

His head was throbbing; that was the first thing he noticed. The second thing was that he had no idea what happened. The third thing was his wife's sudden scream.

Ardeth bolted upright, and gasped when his head started to spin. Putting one hand on it, and trying to blink his vision back to normal, he said, "Yashah?!"

He got no reply.

Reaching out a hand, he felt around for her, and when his vision righted itself, he was finally able to see his wife lying beside him, pale and sweaty, arms wrapped around her stomach. 

It was obvious by the sight what was wrong. "A-Ardeth…" she gasped. 

Trying to ignore the pain in his head, he asked, "When did this begin?" and grabbed her hand, which she promptly squeezed. He saw that there was a tent up around them, and he wondered how she'd managed to put it up in her condition. 

"E-eight hours ago…"

Ardeth gaped. "I was unconscious for over _eight_ hours?"

She shook her head, breathing heavily. "No, four..."

Ardeth frowned, before realizing what she meant. He sighed. _Eight hours…_ A stab of anxiety shot through his chest as he realized that Yashah probably didn't have much time left.

Yashah suddenly cried out in pain, squeezing Ardeth's hand in a death grip.

"Shh," he said, rubbing her stomach, trying to soothe her pain while he ignored his own. "It will be over soon, azhara." _I will have to do this on my own_, he thought, nervously. _Without a healer!_

Yashah calmed a minute later, the pain ebbing for the time being. "But can we do this alone?" she whispered, unknowingly echoing Ardeth's thoughts.

Ardeth sighed. "We have no choice. Do not be afraid, habibah; anxiety will only make the pain worse."

She nodded, though she knew that she couldn't _not_ worry. Only seconds later she gasped when a pain worse then the rest shot through her. "Ardeth!" she shrieked. "It's coming now!"

Those words nearly sent Ardeth into a frenzy, despite his having told Yashah not to worry. He tried to scoot around to see, but Yashah was still hanging onto his hand, crushing it harder and harder. 

"Wait!" he said, nearly in a panic to realize that she was pushing. Still trying to get his hand back, he looked around frantically, and saw that Yashah had taken out the blankets he always carried in his pack. He quickly grabbed one; pulling his hand out of hers and shaking the circulation painfully back into it as he stuck the blanket in her hand to squeeze instead. 

He quickly scooted around to the front of Yashah, wondering what he would see. His breathing nearly came as fast as his wife's as his heart started to pound, in reaction to his nervousness. 

"I do not see anything, Yashah…" he stopped in mid sentence when he found that he was wrong. 

Ardeth's head started to swim when he saw what he knew to be the baby's head. He was struck speechless at the sight, and he could practically hear his heart pounding, even over Yashah's gasps.

"I see it!" he told her. "Again, Yashah!"

Taking a couple of breaths, Yashah closed her eyes as she obeyed, crying out in pain. 

Ardeth reached over for the other blanket, nearly missing it as dizziness struck him. _Not now, _he thought, grabbing it and trying to turn his head slower, back to the sight of his child being born. 

Suddenly the baby's shoulders and chest were out, and Ardeth grasped it with shaking hands, guiding it the rest of the way. 

Yashah cried out with happiness, at the sound of the baby's cry. "What is it?!"

Ardeth could barely speak. "A boy. We have a son, Yashah!"

Yashah cried tears of joy as she watched Ardeth cut the cord and clean him off.

When he finished, Ardeth crawled around Yashah's side, handed her their son, and collapsed weakly beside her.

"Are you all right?" she asked, around her tears, realizing that he'd delivered her baby mere minutes after having been unconscious.

"I should be asking _you_ that," he answered, trying to ignore his painful headache as he watched their son wave its little arms around. 

"I am _wonderful_!" she answered. "Look at him!"

Ardeth was in a state of shock, at what had just occurred. He had been so nervous for the day that their child would arrive, and he never dreamed that he would be forced to deliver it himself. He smiled, as the baby continued to scream its annoyance at his abrupt entry into the world. 

"He looks like you," Yashah said, smiling at the sight of the baby's soft dark hair.

Ardeth nodded. "And you." He reached over and touched the baby's face. "He is so small. You told me the healers thought you to have a big baby."

"Yes," she agreed. "That is what they said, due to my…_size!_" The last word was a shriek. 

Ardeth sat up. "What is it?!" 

Yashah gasped, grabbing her stomach with her free hand. "A-another!" she said, in shock, feeling movement under her palm.

Despite himself, Ardeth's mouth dropped open. He grabbed their son from her, and gently placed him in the sand, before scooting back around to deliver his twin. 

Yashah cried out in pain. "Ardeth! I can not do this again!"

"Yes you can, habibah, I am here with you."

Those words seemed to help, for Ardeth saw her try to calm herself. When he saw her start to push again, he looked down to see the head already there. Feeling a sense of déjà vu, he watched as his second child was born, and he had no choice but to take the blanket that Yashah was mangling out of her hands, to catch and wrap the baby in. 

Ardeth felt tears well up in his own eyes, as he stared at his second child. "A girl," he said, as the tiny baby wailed its opinion of life. 

Yashah smiled through her renewed tears, when Ardeth came around her side with their daughter. 

"We have our own little family!" she exclaimed.

Ardeth picked up their son, and nodded, regretting it a minute later when his head pounded in response. "I can not believe it," he said, holding him close. "One of each!" 

Silently, they lay together in the sand; the new little family.

LOL I bet you didn't expect twins, huh? ;)

'habibah' Egyptian Arabic for 'my love'

'azhara' 'my flower'


	4. Khalid and Khalidah Bay

"Kareem!"

Kareem turned to see Rick and Evy O'Connell walking towards him. He smiled and met them halfway.

"Marhaba!" he said. "I did not know you were coming."

Rick nodded. "Evy wanted to come and see how Yashah was doing, and I was curious to see if Ardeth's a nervous wreck yet."

Kareem laughed. "Ardeth is growing nervous, yes. But to my surprise, he took Yashah to Cairo today."

Evy's eyebrows went up. "This close to her time?"

Kareem nodded. "She begged him, he could not refuse."

Evy smirked, and batted her eyelashes at Rick.

Rick laughed, and put an arm around her back, squeezing her. "What? You always get your way, _Mrs_. O'Connell."

"Yes, I must agree with that, _Mr_. O'Connell," she answered, with a smile. 

Kareem smiled at their lighthearted exchange. 

"So where are they, anyway?" Rick asked.

"I did not seem them after they returned, most likely in their tent," Kareem said.

Rick shook his head. "We stopped there already. It's empty."

Kareem frowned. "Maybe Yashimah knows."

Rick and Evy followed him, and heard Kareem's name called before they got there. They turned to see Yashimah and Jashah coming towards them.

"Have you seen Ardeth or Yashah?" Yashimah asked.

Kareem looked alarmed. "Have they not returned?"

At those words, Yashimah made a sound of distress, putting a hand to her face.

"No," Yashah's father told them, nervously. "Not to our knowledge. We can not find them anywhere within the camp."

Evy and Rick looked at each other, and then to Kareem. 

"It's after dark!" Evy exclaimed. "What if something happened to them?"

Kareem sighed. "Perhaps they stayed in Cairo the night?" Even as he said it he knew there was no way.

Yashimah shook her head. "You know they would not do that without sending word somehow."

"Maybe they stayed very long, and are on their way back?" Kareem suggested.

Jashah sighed, worried for his daughter and her unborn child. "What if something _did_ happen to them?"

Evy and Rick looked on, saying nothing, their nervousness building.

Kareem echoed his sigh. "We can not search during the night, it would be too dark to see anything!"

"Oh, Kareem…" Yashimah said, feeling a chill go down her spine. She turned, facing the direction she knew her brother to have gone in, and squinted into the already increasing darkness. "Ardeth, Yashah, where _are_ you?" she whispered.

********************

"What shall we name them?" Yashah asked Ardeth, as the two of them lay close together, their children between them, using their body heat to help keep the babies warm on this cold desert night.

Ardeth thought for a minute. They had thought of so many names, but decided to wait until they actually saw the baby before they picked one. He never dreamed that they would have twins. 

"I am fond of Khalid and Khalidah," he told her, with a smile. "For you have made me eternally joyful with our children."

Yashah smiled. "I like that, Ardeth."

He smiled back, reaching over to trace a finger down the side of her face. 

She did the same, reaching a hand to lightly brush across the cut on his forehead. She saw the wince he tried to hide at her touch. "How is your head?"

Ardeth took her hand, and held it against his chest. "It is fine, meleka," he lied.

"Keddab," she said, with a smile.

Ardeth smiled back. She could read him like a book. "I wonder what our people are doing," he said, his smile fading.

Yashah gasped. "They must be so worried!" After the frightening but amazing experience the two of them had shared a few short hours ago, she had not even realized the fear the Med-jai must feel, that she and Ardeth had never returned. 

Ardeth sighed. "Perhaps I should go back into Cairo, and get Rick to bring his car here to take you and our children back," he said, knowing that Yashah could not ride. 

She made a face at him. "It is dark, gohzee, and you are injured."

Ardeth sighed again. He was trying to be strong for Yashah's sake, but in truth his head was killing him. "I must _do_ something, miraatee. It is cold, you have no blanket," he said, since the babies were wrapped in them.

"Neither do you," she reminded him, forcing herself not to shiver, for Ardeth's sake.

Ardeth sighed, rubbing his aching forehead. He wanted to get Yashah and their babies home as soon as possible, and if it required riding through the dark, then he would. _But_ _I can not leave them alone! _

"How will you re-shoe the horse if you can not see?" she asked.

That was the last straw. There was now no way to go for help. He closed his eyes again, with a sigh.

Yashah could see his inward struggle, and stroked his hair. "Do not worry, Ardeth, we will all be fine until Kareem finds us."

Ardeth opened his eyes again, looking into her face, a mere six inches away from his own. Suddenly one of the babies gave a loud yawn, and they both looked down at them, seeing their son crinkle his little face. 

They both laughed, and looked back up at each other. 

"Thank you for my children," Ardeth whispered.

"Likewise," she said, bringing her lips close to his.

They kissed, as passionately as they were able with their two newborns between them.

'marhaba' Egyptian Arabic for 'welcome'

Khalid, Khalidah: 'eternal' or 'everlasting'

'meleka': 'my angel'

'keddab': 'liar', lol

'goh-zee': 'my husband'

'miraatee': 'my wife'


	5. Rick and Kareem Save the Day!

"Are you telling me that we're not gonna look for them till _tomorrow_?!" Rick said, incredulous. 

Kareem sighed. "Look at how dark it is, Rick. We can not see anything, we could miss them!"

Yashimah and Jashah listened silently, both of them scared at the implications of Ardeth's and Yashah's absence, but knowing that Kareem's reasoning was right. 

Rick sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. 

Evy put a hand on his arm, but removed it when he started to pace. 

"What time do we leave?" he asked.

"As soon as it is light enough to see," Kareem answered.

Rick looked at his watch, and sighed. He couldn't ask for a better time to leave, though, and ran his hands through his hair again. He suddenly looked at Evy, who was watching him worriedly, and he crossed to her, gathering her in his arms. "I'm sure they're all right, Evy," he said, realizing that his behavior was most likely making her more nervous then she already was.

She sighed, not sure whether or not to believe that. She opened her mouth to say, 'I know', but changed her mind.

********************

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Ardeth jumped a mile, as sudden wails filled the tent. He bolted upright, gasping when stars exploded in his head. _Why does it always have to be a head injury?_ He asked himself, miserably. 

He suddenly heard his wife cooing softly, and looked to see her with a baby in each arm, gently bouncing them. Smiling, Ardeth reached over and took his son from her; bouncing him the way Yashah was doing it.

"How do you feel?" he asked his wife.

She looked at him with a smile, before looking back down at her daughter. "A little weak, but all right."

Ardeth was sure she had to still be in some pain, or at least be sore, but he accepted her answer. 

"How do _you_ feel?" she asked him back.

"I am fine," he told her. If his wife, who'd just given birth to twins, had no complaints, then neither did he.

Like Ardeth, Yashah knew he was probably lying, but she accepted his answer. "Oh, Ardeth!" she said, suddenly. "I am so happy!"

Ardeth smiled, and lowered his face down to hers, kissing her gently. "As am I, my love." He smiled at her, and saw tears in her eyes. He gently stroked her face with his thumb, before scooting over to the tent flap and looking outside. 

"The sun has risen," he told her. "Kareem must be on his way by now."

Yashah sighed, in relief. "I can not wait to get back, and show our children to everyone!"

Ardeth smiled, imagining the tribe's reaction to him finally having his long awaited heir. 

********************

Kareem and Rick were driving through the desert, following the convenient footprints that Ardeth's horse had left, the previous day. 

Rick was very nervous; he'd hoped that Ardeth and Yashah would still arrive that night, after having merely been delayed for some reason, but they had not, confirming his suspicion that something was very wrong.

"When we get to Cairo, where the heck do we look?" he asked.

Kareem shook his head. "If something has in fact happened to them, the curator of the museum may know about it. Or, if Ardeth has been delayed in Cairo for some reason, he would most likely tell the curator, knowing that we would ask him."

"So either way, we have a good chance of finding out from that guy," said Rick. 

Kareem nodded. 

Rick sighed. "Well, that's a start, anyway."

The next hour passed for them mainly in silence, both of them caught up in their own thoughts and worries. If not for Kareem's sharp eyes, Rick may not have even noticed what the Med-jai saw.

"Rick? Do you see that?"

Rick followed Kareem's arm to where it pointed to the right. Off in the distance they could see what resembled a pitched tent.

"Maybe it's them!" Rick said, excitedly, turning the car in that direction.

********************

"ARDETH!"

Ardeth jumped a mile, waking to a shout that he didn't quite recognize, in his still half-asleep mind. Despite having nothing to do but sleep, he and Yashah didn't get much of it, having been too excited about their babies.

"Ardeth? Yashah?"

It was Kareem. Ardeth smiled, and whispered in Yashah's ear. "Habibah, they have found us!"

Yashah awoke, sitting up with their daughter, as Ardeth picked up their son.

"It _is_ Ardeth's horse!" 

Ardeth was surprised to hear Rick's voice. He handed Khalid to his wife and crawled over to the tent flap and opened it, just as Rick and Kareem reached it.

"Ardeth!" they both yelled.

"Hush," Ardeth said to them. "Or you'll wake the children."

Both Kareem and Rick's jaws dropped. "Children?!" they both exclaimed.

Ardeth laughed, when they echoed each other. "Yes. Come and see."

They both entered to see Yashah smiling ear to ear, holding a baby in each arm.

"TWINS!" Rick shouted. 

Ardeth and Yashah both laughed at Rick's shocked behavior. "Yes, my friend. Meet Khalid and Khalidah."

Kareem shook his head, as he came closer and knelt. "God has truly blessed you."

Ardeth smiled, proudly. 

"Wow," said Rick, sticking his finger in Khalid's tiny fist. "Evy is gonna flip!"

"So will Yashimah," Yashah said, excited to show them to her friends.

"Ardeth!" Kareem suddenly said. "You…you…" he was shocked to realize that his friend had obviously delivered the babies by himself.

Ardeth nodded, smiling proudly.

Kareem shook his head again, in shock. He clasped his friend on the shoulder, and was about to say something else, when he frowned, taking a closer look at Ardeth. "What happened to your head?" he asked, suddenly noticing the cut and bruise.

"_That_ is the reason we did not make it back to camp in time to enlarge our family," Yashah told them. 

Rick shook his head. "What _is_ it with you and head injuries?" he asked.

"I never had one until I met _you_, my friend," Ardeth said, keeping a straight face. "Ever since then, they never seem to stop."

Rick busted out laughing. Then he asked, more seriously. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"My horse threw a shoe, and accidentally kicked me," Ardeth told him, slightly embarrassed. "I am fine."

Rick snorted. "Fine? I've heard _that_ before." He looked at Yashah. "A horse kick, huh? How many hours was he knocked out?" 

"What makes you think I was?" Ardeth asked, in an annoyed sounding tone, as he knew Rick was trying to prove him wrong. 

"Four," she answered, and laughed at the face Rick shot her husband.

"Oh, sure!" Rick said. "You're really 'fine', all right."

Ardeth sighed. "Can we please go?"

Kareem made a face. "Of course! I am sorry." He took Khalid from Yashah—smiling as he did it—and handed him to Ardeth, then handed Khalidah to Rick and picked Yashah up before Ardeth had a chance to do it himself.

"Are you sure _you_ don't need help getting up too?" Rick asked Ardeth, shifting Khalidah to one arm and holding a hand out to his friend. 

Ardeth sighed again, as Rick continued to make fun of him. "I _told_ you, I am fine." He accepted the hand up anyway, not wanting to drop Khalid should he get dizzy, as was entirely possible since he hadn't stood even once since his injury. 

His suspicion proved correct, and he was grateful for Rick's steadying hand when the inside of the tent tilted strangely, and he gripped his son tighter. 

"You okay?" Rick asked, ready to grab the baby if need be.

Ardeth started to nod his head, but wisely changed his mind, and said, "Yes," instead. 

Rick kept a hand on his arm just in case, as they all left the tent. Kareem carried Yashah to the car, and sat her in the backseat. Rick handed her Khalidah, and took Khalid from Ardeth so he could get in. 

Ardeth saw Rick shaking his head as he handed Khalid back to him. "What?"

"I was just thinking how you manage to excel at everything," Rick said, smiling. "Med-jai leader, top warrior, managing to survive every unreal horror you get faced with, two babies instead of just one," he laughed. "You are what I would call a lucky man."

Ardeth smiled back, looking down at little Khalid. "Not lucky, my friend; blessed."

Rick made quick work of taking down the tent while Kareem re-shoed the horse, mounting it to ride back to the camp.

"Everyone ready?" Rick asked, as he got behind the wheel. 

Silence greeted him.

Turning in his seat, he saw two incredulous faces looking back at him. Ardeth, looking beat up and tired, and Yashah, looking surprisingly good after her ordeal, but tired nevertheless.  

"Uh, that was a joke," Rick said, with a lopsided grin.

Ardeth and Yashah looked at each other. "Crazy American," Ardeth whispered.

"I heard that!" Rick said, with a laugh, as he started the car, and drove off.


	6. Home Sweet Home

Yashimah paced at the edge of the camp, hoping against hope that Rick and Kareem would come home soon with her brother and sister-in-law, alive and well. _Ardeth, you always manage to get into some kind of trouble!_ she thought to herself. She was so worried, that she didn't notice the sound of a car motor getting louder and louder. 

"Yashimah!"

Yashimah looked up, to see Jashah hurrying over, pointing beyond her. 

Turning around, she saw Rick's car, and Kareem riding a horse beside it.

"Ardeth's horse! They found them!" she shouted, able to make out three heads in the car. She impulsively hugged Jashah, who smiled and hugged her back. 

As the car neared, Yashimah couldn't stand waiting anymore, and ran out to meet them. 

"Ardeth! Yashah! What happened, where have you—" she stopped dead when she saw the babies in their arms, and all but squealed with glee.

"Yashah! Ardeth! You…oh! When? Where? _How_?!"

Everyone started laughing at Yashimah's exclamation, and Rick stopped the car long enough for her to get into the unoccupied front seat.

Yashimah sat backwards, her upper body hanging over the seat as she stared at the babies, touching their little faces gently. "I can not _believe _this! Two! What are they?"

"This is Khalid," Ardeth stated, proudly. "And that is Khalidah."

Yashimah practically clapped her hands with joy. "So I have an ibn il-akh and a bint il-akh! I am so happy, my brother!" She reached over the seats and hugged Ardeth and Yashah, carefully because of the babies.

"Ardeth?" she said, after pulling back. "What happened to your head?"

Ardeth groaned, in anticipation of her smothering mother-henning, as they pulled up.

Jashah was there in an instant, opening the backseat door, and smiling in shock at the sight of his grandchildren, but then frowning in at his daughter.

"I am fine, father," she said, seeing the look on his face. 

He smiled, as she scooted over to get out of the car, and he picked her up to carry. He stared at the babies with a joyful smile. 

"Khalid and Khalidah," Yashah told him. 

"I am very proud of you, my daughter," he said, resting his cheek on her head. "Ardeth—" He paused. "What happened to your head?"

Before Ardeth had a chance to say anything, Yashimah grabbed his chin and turned his face roughly towards her, studying the wound. "Ardeth! You must have received more concussions then every Med-jai in this tribe _combined_! What _is_ it with you and head injuries?"

Rick busted out laughing, as Yashimah repeated his very same words. "Where's Evy?" The question was barely out of his mouth before he saw his wife running towards them. 

"Ohh! Ohh!" she cried, catching sight of the babies. 

They all laughed, while Evy reacted in much the same way Yashimah had as they made their way to a healer's tent. 

********************

The healers declared that the Bay babies were in perfect health, and that Ardeth _did_ have a minor concussion; prescribing best rest for both him and Yashah. For once, it was a convalescence that Ardeth enjoyed, as he had his wife to share it with him.

A few days later, they were both considered recovered enough for the Med-jai to hold their customary celebration in honor of the birth of a baby. The occasion was more exuberant then usual when celebrating twins, and this one was even more so, with one of the babies being the long-awaited heir of the Med-jai.

Ardeth laughed at the sight of the O'Connell's; Rick was standing in front of an embarrassed Evy, dancing around like a drunken monkey. The problem with that was that he was sober.

Yashah was laughing too, especially when Rick grabbed Evy and swung her all over the place. "Rick is in a good mood," she remarked to her husband. 

"Yes," Ardeth agreed. "Crazy American." That got another laugh out of Yashah, and they watched as Rick stopped, letting go of Evy who swayed dizzily. Rick caught her, laughing as she playfully slapped him on the arm. Hand in hand, they left the crowd of dancers and sat down, kissing. 

The celebration went on until midnight, when the music finally stopped and people started going to their tents. 

"You look as if you enjoyed yourself," Ardeth said to Rick, as the American came over to them.

Rick laughed. "Yeah, figured I'd loosen up a little. It was fun!"

Evy shook her head, covering her mouth with one hand to try to prevent her husband from seeing the smile that was threatening to turn into a laugh.  

"What are _you_ laughing at?" Rick said, grabbing her around the waist. 

Evy squealed, having not expected it.

"Naw," said Rick. "We're just happy that you two are okay. We were really worried for a while there." He held out his hand. "Congrats on the two little bundles of joy."

Ardeth smiled, shaking his hand. "Shukran, my friend. I am happy that you were both here for the event."

"So are we," Evy said, giving both Ardeth and Yashah a hug.

They said their goodnights, and left for their tents.

Ardeth and Yashah didn't go to sleep immediately, content for a while to lie quietly with their babies. They were silent for a time, watching their tiny children sleep, staring in wonder at what they had created. 

Ardeth was the one who broke the silence. He looked at Yashah; his beautiful wife, mother of his children. "I love you," he whispered, tenderly.

She beamed at him. "And I love you." 

They lay there smiling at one another, until they fell asleep holding hands, cradling a baby on each of their chests. 

THE END 

I know what you're all saying; "Awww!" LOL I know, wasn't that soooooo sweet? Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews, and reiterate why Safti wasn't in this story. This is the sequel to, 'Through the Glass Darkly', which started out being an interactive story on a website, but I was the only one who posted to it. I had made up Kareem, because I thought other people would add to the story too, and I didn't want people writing my Safti character. But Kareem's lovable too, right? Lol :)

'ibn il-akh' 'nephew'

'bint il-akh' 'niece'


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